Videos featuring and demonstrating self-injury are widely available on YouTube, and millions of viewers rate these videos favorably, according to the study, "The Scope of Nonsuicidal Self-Injury on YouTube," in the March 2011 issue of Pediatrics (published online Feb. 21).
Experts define non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) as destruction of one's own body tissue, for example by cutting or burning. Youth who enact NSSI are at increased risk for interpersonal difficulties, psychiatric problems and, in some cases, suicidal tendencies.
The researchers looked at the 100 most popular such videos on YouTube, and found that most had a factual/educational tone (53 percent), or hopeless/melancholic messages (51 percent). Some videos featured people doing "live" enactments of NSSI; many showed photographs of injuries.
Online communication about NSSI may reinforce or provoke this behavior. The ready availability of such videos on YouTube, and the large number of viewers for the most popular ones, could foster online communities in which this behavior is accepted among those who self-injure.
The authors conclude that the possible impact of this material on viewers is worrisome, and parents as well as professionals working with youth and young adults who enact NSSI need to be aware of the scope and nature of such videos on this popular video-sharing site.
